Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Review: Why You Should Have It - And Why You Shouldn't



For the longest time, the Galaxy Note line represents the best of the best, "kitchen sink" for Android phones where nothing is missing. With the Note 10 series, this has changed. Note 10 Plus still provides almost everything a power user might want, but the "regular" note 10 seems like a cool version of what the Note has always been about. Despite the very real reasons to be less than impressed with the Note 10 at face value, it was the one I wanted. Find out why in our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.

Note to this review: I used the Exino version of the Galaxy Nut 10 for two weeks on Google Fi in Germany, Italy, and the US. The PPR1.180610.011.N970FXXU1ASHE software was built on Android 9 Pie with a security patch on September 1, 2019. Android Authority purchased the phone used for this review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.

The initial version of our Galaxy Note 10 review was released on October 4, 2019. We have updated it several times since then, most recently in March 2020.

Since we have already reviewed the Galaxy Note 10 Plus extensively - and much of that assessment applies here - we will instead focus on those areas where you can expect a different experience. I'll also try to answer some of the questions you may have if you want to buy the Galaxy Note 10, Note 10 Plus or even Galaxy S10.

How is a smaller Galaxy Note 10?
Really good. The smaller size of the Note 10 is actually the main reason why I wanted it over the larger version. I usually use the smaller Pixel 3 as my daily driver, so I like a lighter pocketless phone. The idea of a phone that can do everything a Note can do, but in a minor form factor, was too attractive to refuse.


If you want your phone to be light and pocket-friendly, the smaller Note 10 might be for you, too. It is 13.5% smaller and 17% lighter than the Note 10 Plus but still does most of the same things. Of course, the smaller Note 10 footprint - roughly the same as the Galaxy S10 - doesn't really give you the full-blown, super-immersive Note 10 Plus experience, but you get something very close.

The smaller size of the Note 10 is actually the main reason why I wanted it over the larger version.

At 6.3 inches on the diagonal, the Note 10 is far from small, but it still provides noticeably smaller screen properties than the 6.8-inch Note 10 Plus. Full HD + resolution on Note 10 will be sharp enough for most, but the Quad HD + resolution on Note 10 Plus offers 25% higher pixel density. Note 10 Plus will, of course, attract those who want a bigger and sharper screen, but do more pixels always mean better? I would argue no, at least not for me.

I can't say that I thought the display experience on the Note 10 was anything less than amazing. Note 10 is about the same size as most other standard size phones right now, but it has one of the best screens you see on any of them. No, the Note 10 screen is not technically as good as the Note 10 Plus, but it offers as much as most need in a much more compact size.


The main difference we found in our tests was that the Note 10's auto-brightness was lower than the Note 10 Plus, but otherwise, it's much the same screen - just smaller and with fewer pixels. It should be noted that Note 10 Plus is the default to Full HD + resolution out of the box to save battery, so if you do not switch to Quad HD + yourself, you will get the same experience as the smaller version.

How is the Galaxy Note 10 battery life?
One of the images on a smaller screen with lower resolution is battery savings, something you need considering the Note 10's small 3,500mAh cell. Just like the screen, the Note 10 battery isn't exactly small, but it's far from what most people would want on a phone like this. Fortunately, the battery's performance on the Note 10 is about the same as on the larger version's 4,300 mAh battery. Unfortunately, they're both just OK.

The battery performance on the Note 10 is about the same as in the larger version. Unfortunately, they are both just OK.
When I first started using Note 10 had terrible battery life. I was outside a lot, using cell data and taking lots of photos with the screen brightness quite high. The first few days I averaged about three hours of screen time. After that, I spent more time inside with the screen brightness set to about 30%, mostly connected to Wi-Fi and not using the camera as much. At that time, my screen time was somewhere between 5.5 hours and 6.5 hours. It is quite stable, but not exactly based on heavy use. In addition to the changes in circumstances, I also believe that Samsung's Adaptive Battery began to learn my habits, as I experienced the same ever-improving battery life that Eric did with Note 10 Plus.

On the downside, you can expect a noticeable difference in charge rates between the two versions. The smaller Note 10 comes with a 25W fast charging brick and you can buy a 12W wireless charger (optional). Note 10 Plus encounters up to 45W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. This is disappointing as the Note 10 has a smaller battery and takes even longer to charge than its larger siblings - about 15% longer in just under an hour and a half. Note 10 also supports 9W reverse wireless charging if there is something you are interested in.

No memory, no problem
In a move that some have seen as a deliberate glimpse of the regular Note 10 to push you towards the more expensive version, Samsung decided to remove microSD expansion in Note 10. Given the Note 10 Plus comes with up to 512 GB Storage space and Note 10 are limited to 256 GB, the smaller Note would have been the natural choice for microSD expansion, but this is not the case.

The lack of a larger memory configuration or microSD slot means you simply have no option for more storage.

256 GB of storage will be more than enough for many people, but the lack of a larger memory configuration or microSD slot means you simply have no option for more storage. Many Note owners have long used microSD cards to ferry around huge music or video libraries that they do not want to access through the cloud. That option has gone with the smaller Note 10 and it is a bitter pill to swallow. If you've never relied on a microSD card, it doesn't matter to you, but it did.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 quick settings on the desktop
In addition to memory expansion, the 512 GB Note 10 Plus comes with 12 GB RAM, while the Note 10 only comes with 8 GB RAM in the only 256 GB version. You can start to see now why many people claim that the Note 10 is not a real note, but rather a Galaxy S10 with an S-pen. The sad part is that the S10 is in some ways a better phone for less money. The throw up here relies almost solely on the presence of S Pen and how much memory you need.

Performance is still good on Note 10 and 8 GB RAM works perfectly, but it won't be able to cache as many apps as a Note 10 Plus with 12 GB RAM. Again, Note 10 provides more than enough power for most people, but it will need to attract a different type of buyer than the regular Note owner. Whether Samsung mixes the Note and S series together is still open for debate. Samsung could try to appeal to an even untapped Note audience - in addition to just the power users who need everything - or it could be as simple as offering a smaller version of a popular phone and differentiating its value proposition.

Is the camera the same? ... Almost
The Galaxy Note 10 has almost the same camera settings as the larger Note 10 Plus. The only difference is that the Note 10 skips the deep vision camera. This will not do anything for most people, as it only really contributes to more realistic looking bokeh in portrait mode. The deep vision camera also lets you make cool AR measurements with the camera, but I'm not sure it's enough to justify other's guessing if there is an absence. Here are some pictures were taken with Note 10. You see a similar dynamic range, color, and detail as Note 10 Plus, but the same little noise problem in low light that we experienced in the more expensive version.

What's the best thing about Note 10?

The size, hands down. It's an amazing Samsung screen with an S-pen that's not as close as the larger Note 10 Plus. You get the same software experience, excellent performance, killer cameras, and amazing S Pen functionality, but in a form factor that is more realistic for most people.

What's the worst about Note 10?

Probably battery life. While good, just driving a phone like this through a whole day of serious use is not enough. When you put everything you can into a phone as a note, you should expect its owner to be a heavier-than-average user. The Note 10 battery is OK, but it is not up to the task of meeting the needs of an electric user all day. If you are not as fixated on battery life as some of us, you may want to look past it; After all, the battery life is much the same as many other phones on the market. But the note is supposed to be better than everyone, and when it comes to battery life, it's just the same.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 worth it?


I think so. But only to a certain type of buyer. It is clearly not a complete note in the traditional sense of the product series, where nothing is excluded and no compromises are made. In that sense, this feels a bit more like a Note 10 Lite where the Plus version is the "real" Note 10, rather than this being a regular Note and Plus is a kind of upgraded "Pro" version.

 But not everyone who likes the idea of ​​a note and its endless S Pen wants or needs top-level everything. For the Note-curious types, 90% of the way is probably enough. That's who this phone is designed for (along with anyone who wants a note but can't handle its large size). I've had "real" notes in the past and while yes, they were more comprehensive "good" phones all the time, I still think the Note 10 is "good enough." It basically comes down to the ideas you have about what note should be.

 If all you want is the best specifications, you can get a OnePlus 7 Pro or OnePlus 7T Pro for much less money. Fans of the all-inclusive-kitchen-sink Not of old will demand an extra hundred and fifty dollars for the Note 10 Plus. If the S Pen is not something that makes or breaks you, you should probably take a closer look at the Galaxy S10 series. But if all you want is a more manageable note with almost everything the bigger one offers, I don't think you will be dissatisfied with Note 10.